More than one way to get it done!

Hi all Janice here😊

It's been a while! I have accomplished a lot! I am now a member of the Doula Services Association of BC. I have my Food Safe, Criminal Record Check, and CPR HCP. I am also now an approved doula with the Doulas For Aboriginal Families Grant Program. I have also done a Yoga For Birth Workshop For Childbirth Educators and Doulas. It was lovely! I definitely want to look more into this. No you don't have to mold into a pretzel. It was so simple , so gentle, I loved it!

My topic for this blog is there are lots of different ways to do things. It's not my way or the highway! As a doula I will give you information but it is up to you to chose what is right for your family. Whether I am your birthing doula, your postpartum doula or I am helping you with breastfeeding, I will share with you the information I have learned and studied. You can take what works for you, file it for a different time or delete it. I will not be hurt or offended! Those who know me or who have been following my blog or facebook page know I am passionate about being a doula and everything involved including breastfeeding. Part of my job is to make sure you have the proper information but you and your family are unique. You must make your own decisions based on what is right for you and your family.

I am there helping you with what you think you need, not on what I think you need. I will not judge you. I will help you find a way to do what feels right for you. I will find out information for you and then if it's out of my scope of practice I will refer you to who ever can provide you with the help you need.

So even though I am passionate about breastfeeding, for what ever reason if it is not working for you and you definitely want to give it up, I will help you find information on bottle feeding. I will first share information with you maybe make some suggestions but the decision is up to you and your partner and I am there to support you. Same with childbirth, if you decide you want a C-section. I will first ask questions, give information and perhaps suggestions, refer you to your care provider then support what ever decision you make and if decided make it the best C-section we can!

I would like to thank all my kids for training me so well! They are all unique and wonderful. I love and admire them all so much. I don't necessarily agree with all there decisions but they are not me and they are on there own paths. That is how I feel about my clients too, you are not me and you are also on your own paths.

I was also a LLL Leader, which taught me the same thing. I would sometimes have Mom's phoning me for permission just to wean. I would provide information and try and help but then it would become very clear that thats not what they wanted. You just had to say to that Mom that it is a two way relationship and if it wasn't working for her and she was feeling tense and resentful all the time that yes, she needed to do what what felt right for her and her baby. Mom's have all sorts of different reasons for making there decisions, reasons we may never know or understand and that's ok! I respect that and will do my very best to be a supportive doula for all my clients.

Janice <3